Tour Operator vs Travel Agent
As a potential Personal Travel Concierge, understanding the distinction between tour operators and travel agents is essential—both for your own knowledge and for explaining these differences to your clients. At Personal Travel Concierge, our unique model combines the best aspects of both roles, allowing you to offer superior service with maximum protection for your clients.
Key Definitions
Contract directly with hotels, airlines, and local service providers
Take on the financial risk of unsold holidays
Are responsible for the delivery of all services in the package
Often specialise in particular destinations or types of holiday
Examples include TUI, Jet2Holidays, and Kuoni
Tour Operators
Tour operators are companies that create and manage holiday packages by combining various travel components (flights, accommodation, transfers, excursions) into a single product.
Act as retailers for products created by others
Earn commission on sales rather than marking up products
Typically sell a wide range of holidays from multiple suppliers
Function primarily as a distribution channel
Examples include traditional high street travel agencies
Travel Agents
Travel agents are intermediaries who sell travel products created by tour operators and other suppliers.
Our Hybrid Model:
The Personal Travel Concierge Advantage
At Personal Travel Concierge, we've developed a model that gives our concierges the best of both worlds:
AGENCY FREEDOM
The ability to select from thousands of suppliers to create truly bespoke experiences
OPERATOR PROTECTION
Full financial protection for all bookings through our ATOL and ABTA coverage
DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS
Both with suppliers and with clients for a seamless service experience
ADDED VALUE
The ability to enhance standard packages with personalised touches
Financial Protection:
The Critical Difference
One of the most important distinctions that matters to your clients is financial protection:
Your Unique Position
ATOL protection covers all elements of a package holiday if the tour operator fails, providing peace of mind for both travel professionals and their clients. Clients are guaranteed repatriation if they're abroad when a failure occurs, while refunds are secured for holidays that haven't yet departed. All Personal Travel Concierge package holidays come with this comprehensive protection as standard.
Trust Through Protection
Your understanding of these distinctions becomes a selling point, as clients who recognize the superior protection are more likely to:
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
Knowing their holiday and money are fully protected
REFER FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Sharing the peace of mind that comes from your service
RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR
Building a relationship based on trust and security
VALUE YOUR EXPERTISE
Recognising the importance of booking through a professional
Your Unique Position
This combination is what makes our model—and your potential business—uniquely valuable in today's travel marketplace. When you join as a Personal Travel Concierge, you'll offer your clients:
01
THE SECURITY OF A MAJOR TOUR OPERATOR
With full financial protection
02
THE PERSONALISATION OF AN INDEPENDENT EXPERT
With freedom to create truly tailored experiences
03
THE PEACE OF MIND OF 24/7 SUPPORT
With real people ready to help anywhere in the world
04
THE CONFIDENCE OF A TRUSTED BRAND
With the human touch only you can provide